Chapter 40.2: Daddy

"Auntie, the goods are correct… Where is your kitchen?" Ray asked after they tallied out the goods. "Ah, it's alright.. it's alright… I will bring them in later. All of you must have traveled very far to come here, haven't you?" Auntie Soh said with concern.

"Don't worry Auntie. We are very fit. Let us help you bring them in first alright?" Ryu said as he carried two boxes of noodles and walked into the stall heading to the kitchen with Jin who was carrying a box of vegetables. Ray followed behind with bottles of oils and a sack of dried chilies.

Auntie Soh felt a little bad as she watched the boys help out. "Don't worry Jai Lin… they have been living independently without maids all these years. They can handle things like this."

"Semai! I need to catch up with my deliveries… If I have time I will drop by your mother's house or Jai Lin's house to catch up alright?" Ah Ghee said as he hopped back into his truck and started the engine. Peter nodded as he and Auntie Soh waved goodbye to Ah Ghee.

"So, tell me how's my daughter like all these years?" Peter asked excitedly as Auntie Soh led him into the stall and sat by one of the tables.

Auntie Soh poured him a cup of tea as the boys sat at the table behind them and rested after they transferred all the goods to the kitchen.

"Your daughter… She loves debating and Ah Ghee's son, Andrew, was always her debate partner…" Auntie Soh took a sip of tea with Peter before she continued. Peter recalled the video he watched which Jason showed him and nodded in acknowledgement to Auntie Soh's update.

"My daughter, Sandra, was always very worried about Ai Lee. Most of the time, Ai Lee lives alone… Lately, she has tutor sessions with her boss I think… I am also not so sure with the kids' matters because they are old enough but this boss I heard was very kind. He knew Ai Lee was looking for an internship for their foundation year. You know in Manes college, their foundation has prestige because of this working experience requirement. So, Ai Lee found a job and also had the boss to tutor her accounts… Nowadays, I heard from Sandra that the three of them are planning to head to Landsfield to find a place to live together when they enter university next year. They also look for internship opportunities in the medical line for Sandra and Andrew because these two are going to study psychology in university instead… Oh yes, where do you live now with your sons?" Auntie Soh asked as she poured them tea again into their empty cups.

Peter smiled. "Landsfield…"

"Aiya, what a coincidence!" Auntie Soh exclaimed as they both laughed.

"You know it's a waste for your daughter to choose business management. In fact, I can see she loves debating so much and has talent to pursue law but because she wanted to run her grandma's businesses later, she made that decision. I heard my daughter say, Ai Lee even wanted to go into the psychology faculty with Andrew and Sandra but her science subject was weak..." Auntie Soh lamented as Peter gathered his thoughts and felt a huge gratitude towards Auntie Soh, Ah Ghee and Jason for being by his daughter's side helping her out all along.

"But it's alright… at least they are all still living together while in university… That way they can support each other…" Auntie Soh sighed as Peter came up with an idea.

"Why not let them live with me in Landsfield? I have extra rooms to spare for them… After all, you can consider it as returning the favor for being a great guardian all this while to Ai Lee?" Peter said as Auntie Soh's restless face instantly went away but wondered if his second wife would mind.

"Wouldn't you need to discuss this with your wife first? After all, Ai Lee after all this year has grown up and…" Auntie Soh was interrupted instantly by Peter.

"She has passed away…" Peter said briefly.

"Awww… What happened?" Auntie Soh asked with concern.

"After the youngest, she suffered from post natal depression. I…" Peter tried to calm his emotion to explain further only to find himself tongue tied recalling about the incident. Auntie Soh held on to his hand.

"Semai… stay strong… Never expected both your wives to have the same issue…" Auntie Soh sighed.

"You need to be strong for Ai Lee and the boys… Besides, Ah Jiat is still alive…" Auntie Soh said solemnly about Ivy's biological mother as Peter lifted his head to look at Auntie Soh.

"I know she is because I have not heard from the lawyers about lifting the restriction she instructed all these years from meeting Ai Lee. Do you… know where she is?" Peter asked after taking a moment to gather some courage to face his past.

"Last I heard from Granny Sim, she was in a sanatorium… She had apparently succumbed to her postnatal aggression… If you want I can give you the address. Once you have settled down with Ai Lee… Perhaps, the both of you can seek some closure…" Auntie Soh patted Peter's hand to comfort him while the boys sat quietly among themselves pondering on how bad their older sister's fate could be.

Sandra and Andrew were wondering why Ivy was not in a hurry to head to work when it was Wednesday as Ivy kept checking her phone for messages and followed the couple walking towards her grandma's chili noodles stall for lunch.

"How come you don't have to work today?" Sandra asked while Ivy stopped staring at the message Jason sent to her about staying at her grandma's place today and not bother about him or Lucky as Marcel will manage them. She was very bothered by the message which repeated the same thing he told her this morning and couldn't help but wonder what was wrong. Ivy was so bothered about it that she didn't hear Sandra till she nudged her.

"Huh? What do you want?" Ivy asked hastily as Andrew and Sandra stopped by the small path leading to the stall.

"What's going on again? You're not yourself lately do you know?" Andrew nagged.

"Tell us…" Sandra pestered as they pushed her to a corner where she leaned up against the wall. Ivy sighed as she recalled her behaviors lately.

"I know… I am a bit absent minded lately about the ambiguous relationship with Jason. I don't know what or which direction he wants to lead me to.. I am equally confused too. Today he emphasised many times that I should stay at home and not bother about him or Lucky when in actual fact he knows I have finished my exams. He even told me to work from home the entire week. Sometimes, I wonder if he is trying to push me away but why or is he trying to keep me by his side but again what is stopping him from doing so… but one thing I know for sure is that, I can try to lean by his side for now but in months to come, I need to leave him… And for that…" Ivy choked while explaining.

"Ivy…" Sandra hugged her.

"We promise we will always be here for you… We will head into university together and stay together even if we study different courses alright? Since you have a break, I guess we should check out Landsfield before our college's camping trip this weekend?" Sandra tried comforting her as she let Ivy go from her embrace and watched Ivy try to stay composed and nodded with a smile. "Besides, we both need to get an internship soon. If it's in Landsfield that would certainly be better for us to settle down as quickly as possible." Andrew explained as both girls agreed. "Alright, we shall head to Landsfield after this. Well at least let your parents know about the plans…" Ivy said as they continued to walk towards the stall.

"Let's go for lunch first…" Andrew messed up Ivy's hair as she smacked Andrew and their noisy laughter was heard from inside the stall alerting Auntie Soh of their arrival.

When the trio entered the stall happily, Ivy saw three familiar faces looking back at her. Andrew and Sandra only recognised Ryu as Auntie Soh stood.

"Ryu, Ray, Jin!" Ivy greeted happily as she stood at the door. "Ivy…" The three boys said in unison as Jin adjusted his spectacles. Jin had figured out Ivy was their older sister instantly as Ryu slowly made sense of the entire situation. Ray was a little slow but eventually caught on when he saw their dad's reaction.

"What are you all doing here? Such a coincidence!" Ivy said cheerfully without noticing that Andrew and Sandra had already noticed another old figure sitting in front of Auntie Soh whom they both recognised instantly. They both had seen photos of Ivy's family around her house and also their own house that they could even recognise just by looking at him from behind.

Ivy was too excited to notice him but the eyes of the three boys directing at their father made Ivy take a glance at the old figure who was turning around to see her.

Peter took quite a moment to gain some courage to finally see the face of his beloved daughter whose voice was enough to melt his heart longing to hold her.

Ivy watched as Peter stood while their eyes met. She widened her eyes in disbelief as she half wanting it to be real but was afraid it was a dream again as she pinched herself only to find her tears flow tears unwillingly; unsure if it was due to the pain she felt or the many years of imagining the scene in front of her turning into a reality.

Ivy had seen his pictures a thousand times but never did she imagined she would be able to see him in flesh as they both stared at each other with glistening eyes.

"Ai Lee…" Peter finally called out gently as he blinked back his tears of joy.

"Daddy…" She called out as her voice cracked as more tears welled up her eyes blurring the vision of him.